Underwater camera container with external camera control means



Nov. 15, 1949 M. G. GRIGSBY 2,437,868

UNDERWATER CAMERA CONTAINER WITH EXTERNAL CAMERA CONTROL MEANS FiledJune 16, 1945' 2 Sheets-Sheet l .w w m M TG 9 NI 0 ER WT VG T N n I e wG A 3 M Nov. 15, 1949 M. G. GRIGSBY UNDERWATER CAMERA CONTAINER WITH ANSEXTERNAL CAMERA CONTROL ME Filed June 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

v INVENTOR.

MAC G- GRIGSBY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNDERWATER CAMERACONTAINER WITH EXTERNAL CAMERA CONTROL MEANS Mac G. Grigsby,Gainesville, Fla.

Application June 16, 1945, Serial No. 599,889

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a device for making pictures under water andrelates more particularly to an underwater camera box which iscompletely portable and maneuverable under water.

It is an object of the invention to make an improved under water camerabox capable of making all types of angle shots, including shots directlyupwardly toward the surface of the water.

The invention is capable of numerous forms and variations withoutdeparting from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore,the intent and desire that the embodiment shown herein be deemedillustrative and not restrictive, and that the patent shall cover allfeatures of patentable novelty existing in the invention disclosed,reference being had to the claim rather than to the specific descriptionherein to indicate the scope of the invention.

In the drawing forming a part of this application, similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the control rod and packing;

Figure 2 is a view of material as laid out for making the container a,box;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the top and the support for theplatform showing the camera in place; and

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the camera box into which thecamera support means shown in Figure 3 is adapted to be inserted.

The device in the broadest sense is a watertight box 34 with two panesof plate glass 35 set in parallel sides, with the camera 23 mounted insuch a way that all camera controls are extended through water-tightpacking boxes l2 in the cover ID of the box. It is used by taking it inand under the water while wearing water goggles and operating it just asone would any camera out of the water. The cameraman looks through thetwo parallel panes of glass, locating his subject through the camerasview finder and range finder in the usual manner.

One of the important features of the submersible camera is in the easilyand economically constructed packing boxes through which the movablecontrols of the camera extend. These may be made of a one-quarter inchstandard plumbing pipe nipple and two pipe caps. A oneeighth inch holeis drilled in the center of each pipe cap to accommodate the one-eighthinch bronze welding rod which is used for the extended controls of thecamera. Welding rod was chosen because it is strong and tough enough todo the job, and at the same time, is malleable enough that it can beshaped by the use of pliers and hammer. The finished packing box withcontrol rod through it is stuffed with one-eighth inch graphited packingor similar material which is used in packing propeller shafts, washingm'achines, pumps, etc. A sufficient amount of the packing 2! is woundaround the control rod l5 and pushed down into the pipe nipple 28 sothat there will be a snug fit when the two caps I2 and 3! are screwed ontight. The packing box assembly is mounted through a hole in the boxcover by use of a one-quarter inch waist nut ll, also a standardplumbing fitting, a rubber washer 29 cut to appropriate size, and ametal washer 30 approximately one-eighth of an inch thick. The packingbox seals itself against the cover when the caps at each end aretightened. The number of these packing boxes needed will vary withdifierent types of cameras. Six are needed for extending to the controlsof the camera shown.

Heavy and rigid material is needed for the construction of a removablewater-tight cover which can be sealed by the pressure of six onequarterinch bolts three-quarters of an inch long and a rubber gasket. This sealis similar to that used for the face plates of diving helmets. Thisproblem is solved by making the cover on a frame of one-inch angle ironwhich fits loosely on and into a second slightly larger frame of thesame general construction which forms the top rim of the box. Awatertight seal is made by bolting the two frames together with bolts 31spaced around the top, and a rubber gasket 36 is positioned between thetwo frames. The gasket used should be fairly narrow and should be fittedwithin the rectangular area delineated by the bolt holes.

If the pressure of the bolts 31 is distributed over the area of a largergasket the amount of water pressure the assembly will withstand ismaterially reduced.

Each frame may be made by welding together at the corners four pieces ofone-inch angle iron which have been cut at a forty-five degree angle.Eight pieces are required for the two frames.

A piece of twenty gauge galvanized sheet iron or other suitable materialis cut one-quarter of an inch larger each Way than the inside of thesmaller frame and is welded to the frame in a water-tight seamcompletely around its four sides. This frame, with top welded on, formsthe cover of the box. Through it are bored the six holes nine-sixteenthsof an inch in diameter through which the previously described packingboxes are mounted.

The camera is mounted n platform 25 made of one-quarter inch plywood orany other suitable material and suspended from the cover by four meanssuch as strips of angle iron 24, one at each corner. These pieces ofangle iron may be made from twenty gauge sheet metal. They are bent.into right angle form by placing them between two pieces of theheavier'one-inch angle iron before the frames are welded and closingthem in a vise so that the lighter strip is bent to conform with theshape of the two heavier pieces. A piece of metal the same size as theplatform is fastened at the other end of the angle irons in the samemanner. Holes are later bored in this piece matching the holes in thecover of the box, and this platform sub-assembly is included in thefinal assembly when the packing boxes are installed so that the coverand suspended platform are fastened together in one solid :unit. Thepacking boxes furnish adequate supportfor the platform on which thecamera rests. This system of mounting the camera makes it veryconvenient to install or remove the camera- It also afiords specialprotection to the camera in the event of accidental leakage. Severalounces of water would have to leak into the box before the camera couldbe reached regardless of the position of the box in the water.

The camera is mounted on theplatform with its back parallel .to andnearly flush with the edge of the platform. .It is desirable that theback of the camera be very .close to the edge in order to reduce thedistance the camera .back will be from the glass in the final assembly.The closer the camera .is to the glass the more convenient it will be touse the range and view finders.

The cameramay be secured in place by any suitable means for example by acamera case re- :taining bolt screwed through a hole in the platform andinto the tripod socket of the camera. The location of such an opening inthe platform can :be. determined. by measurement after the camera.position has been determined. A shallow 1U -shap,ed 'metal bracket 26with the arms of the -;U passing througdl openings in the platform andcontacting the camera at points approximately two and one-half :inchesfrom the tripod socket will prevent the camera from rotating on itsmounting. This bracket may be held in place by any suitable means forexample by a screw or bolt not shown tightened from the bottom side ofthe platform. This method of attachment allows the bracket to be loweredout of the way when installing or removing the camera. In order to keepover-all size at a minimum very little extra space is provided in thebox. It will be found that there is just sufiicient room to slide thecamera-between the two back supports of the platform and under the filmwinding and focusing controls. These two controls can be pulled upthrough the packing boxes slightly'in order to get the camera underthem. It may be necessary to cut a slight recess under the film rewindinknob inorder to keep it from binding against the platform when film isadvanced.

The spacing of the packing boxes on the cover is controlled; first bythe space available; and second by the manner these verticallyextending, rotating control rods are to be coupled to the existingcontrols of the camera.

Directions front and back, right and left, will be in relation to thecamera as you look down on it after it has been mounted on the platform.The

shutter cocking control is placed one and threequarters of an inch infront of the cocking lever which is on the face of the camera. Thecontrol rod [5 extends vertically to a point even with the end of thedownward extending cocking lever at which point it is bent at rightangles forming a lever which will cook the shutter when the control isturned. That portion of each control rod which extends outside the boxis bent into a lever or handle [3 as may be desired. The shutter releasecontrol is centered three-quarters of an inch behind the shutter releaseof the camera. It extends downward to a point just above the shutterrelease plunger at which place it is bent at right angles to extend to apoint just above the release plunger, and then in a downward spiral insuch a manner that when the control is turned the spiral will rub acrossthe top of the plunger with an increasing downward pressure until theshutter is tripped. The degree of spiral can be varied to suit theoperators desire for a slow. or quick trigger on his shutter.Approximately fifteen degrees of turn is required to trip the shutter onthe box shown in the drawing. The focusing control is locatedfive-eighths of :an inch in front of the .center of the knurled focusingring on the camera. This control consists of a rubber crutch tip l8mounted as a wheel with the control rod as an axle. The crutch tip fitsover a metal cylinder one inch in diameter which is fastened to the endof the control rodnlfi. An expanding spring H is placed on the controlrod between the underside of the packing box and the crutch tip mountingin order to assure constant pressure for the friction contactof thiscontrol. The film release control I!) is :mounted at a fortyfive degreeangle to the front and left of the film release button on the top of thecamera. It extends downward, across and finally downward to a point justabove and almost touching the release. A slight turn and downwardmovement of the control releases the film for winding. The film windingcontrol is centered directlyover the film winding knob of the camera. Itis shaped in the form of a T so that the top bar of the T will engage aslot which is cut across the top of a cap fitted over the film windingknob.

An expanding spring can be used here in the same manner as on thefocusing control. The diaphragm control is mounted to the left of theright side of the diaphragm control ring on the lens of the camera. Itextends downward to a point even with the center of the lens and then atright angles, and is then bent into a horizontally extendin arc of acircle with the vertical shaft of the control as the center ofthecircle. This control permits change of the diaphragm opening with thelens hood in place. It is used by turning until the end of the controlengages one of the buttons on the diaphragm ring, and holding thecontrol in position while turning the focusing control as needed. Thediaphragm control is then returned to the back position so that it willnot interfere with the field of view of the lens.

Shutter cock, shutter release, and diaphragm controls maybe equippedwith spring returns made by attaching small coil springs to tappedcollars placed on the control rods just below the packing box. One endof the sprin is fastened to a long set screw in the collar and the otherend to any convenient place in the top part of the assembly. Specialwashers cut from twenty- .two gauge sheet metal with tabs bent down tolimit the motion of these controls will also provide a place to anchorthe springs.

The shape and dimensions of a piece are shown in Figure 1. Twoadditional pieces are needed to make the frames in which the two piecesof one-quarter of an inch plate glass 35 are set. The box is shaped bybending the four outside parts A and B upward at right angles to thecenter rectangle C which forms the bottom of the boX, and then lappingover on the outside the onehalf inch strips at each of the four edges toprovide for solder joints.

A rectangular opening three inches by four and one-quarter inches is cutin each of the two larger sides of the box. These openings should bemidway between the ends of the box and one and one-half inches from thebottom. A frame mark is scored around these openings one-half inch fromthe edge of the opening and the metal cut diagonally at each corner ofthe opening to the corner of the scored frame. These one-half inch widestrips at the borders of the frame openings are then bent outward atright angles increasing the size of the openings to four inches by fiveand one-quarter inches. These strips will later be bent on back to thesurface of the box holding in place the frames in which the glass is tobe set.

Two frames for the glasses may be made from the pieces measuring sixinches by seven and one-quarter inches. and one-quarter inches is cutout of the center of each piece so that there is provided a fiatrectangular frame of material one inch wide. The outside half-inch ofeach side of the frame is bent up at right angles, a cut first beingmade at each corner to form a one-half inch square tab that can be bentaround to form a lapped boxcorner. At this point, these frames, were itnot for the fact that the centers have been cut out,

would have the shape of shallow trays measuring 1 A piece four inches byfive above is now fitted flush into the top of the box and brazed intoplace by a watertight seam entirely around the top edge of the box. Allother seams and joints are then soldered. It is not necessary to solderinside the glass frames, as the cement which holds the glass in placewill cover that area.

What I claim is:

In a portable underwater camera container having windows in two oppositesides and an open top, a water-tight cover for the top, means forsupporting a camera between the windows, said means attached to andmovable with the top and mechanical operating rods extending through thetop, said operating rods including a focus control rod having a rubbermeans on one end and a substantially constant pressure means mountedaround the focus control rod.

MAC G. GRIGSBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 616,999 Night Jan. 3, 1899631,222 Mason Aug. 15, 1899 685,463 Walkins Oct. 29, 1901 1,122,104Gruen Dec. 22, 1914 1,179,330 Leithold Apr. 11, 1916 1,661,364 FairchildMar. 6, 1928 1,810,302 Stiles June 16, 1931 2,001,682 Jackman May 14,1935 2,237,887 Nerwin Apr. 8, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date117,841 Great Britain Feb. 7, 1918 161,780 Great Britain Apr. 21, 1921744,934 France Apr. 28, 1933 OTHER REFERENCES Undersea Cinematography,article by Johnson in Journal of the Soc. of Motion Picture Engineers,vol. 32, January 1939. Published in Easton, Pa., pp. 11-16 cited.

